The rodent didn't cause any damage

NEW YORK (CNN) – At first it looks like your typical run-of-the-mill rat sighting, but then the brazen critter locks eyes with the cameraman and pounces.

Josiah Ryan, attacked by rat, said, “I admit, it wasn’t my finest moment.” Ryan is still traumatized by the nasty encounter that happened at the 42nd Street subway station at Bryant Park.

Ryan, who is a journalist, regularly carries around a camera, but capturing an actual rat attack was the last thing on his mind. “I am a football field away, minding my own business, and this rat just comes straight at me with no provocation. I mean maybe he didn’t want to be recorded. I don’t know how smart they are.”

Fortunately, the rodent didn’t cause any damage as Ryan bolted off the platform. However, what it did do was make the New York transplant think twice about riding the rails.

“This incident is going to haunt me for a little while now and I’m going to be more likely to grab a Citibike and head downtown instead of taking the subway,” said Ryan.

For its part, the MTA says it’s still working on its rat problem that some would call an epidemic. The agency recently entered its second phase of a field study where it’s using non-toxic bait that permanently sterilizes female rats.

Despite the latest so-called rat attack video and others gaining infamy on YouTube, the MTA tells PIX11 the rat bait study seems to be working as they see a decrease in the rat population at study sites.

The best advice for straphangers at this point, have some patience as down-sizing these rodents will take some time, and if you see one, run.